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Friends and Phonies
Characters in the Eyes of Holden Caulfield By Jeremy Shields The Catcher in the Rye introduces us to two different classes of characters: the ones who are considerate, down-to-earth, and compassionate toward others, and the ones who are, underneath what may be a polite and respectable demeanor, truly the worst of the worst. The former are like that innocent, practically impeccable coworker who isn't afraid to go against the grain if it means getting things done and doing them well while effortlessly keeping his moral compass in check. The latter? He may know how to get the job done, and he may do it with a show of good intentions, but what did he do to get where he is today? How much did he belittle and connive without a care for the consequences or the ethics? He may come off just like anyone else, but at his core, he can range from unscrupulous scum of the Earth to your comparatively moderate, everyday reprobate. Or in Caulfield terms, a friend or a phony. Here we will take a look at the unique cast of The Catcher in the Rye through the eyes of its proudly opinionated protagonist, enlightening us as to whether someone is a friend, a phony, or a little bit of both. Holden But before all that, there is the issue of knowing that protagonist first. His name is Holden Caulfield, and he has taken it upon himself to educate us about the true nature of phonies. We first meet Holden telling his story while confined in a mental institution. A seventeen-year-old who is not the best in school, Holden spends more time brooding over the phoniness of others than he does studying, often describing to the reader his complex feelings for his parents and his peers. Holden classifies almost everyone around him as a phony. His definition of the word cannot always be clearly understood. Most often, Holden uses it to describe the people in his life who act in ways averse to their true selves with the goal of "keeping up appearances," as the saying goes. We meet plenty of hypocrites and cheaters throughout The Catcher in the Rye, and chances are Holden will provide them with the label of phony. Despite his judgmental attitude toward just about everyone he knows, Holden is a flexible person who can look past these peoples' inherent flaws and make friends with them regardless. He does have some trouble with recognizing the phoniness in himself, however... The Friends and the Phonies * Stradlater – Stradlater was Holden's roommate at Pencey Prep. The two of them were not exactly the best of friends; although some of their interactions were quite amicable, at times their banter transformed into animosity, as was the case when Stradlater beat Holden senseless shortly before the latter left the school. Stradlater displayed a "phony kind of friendly," in Holden's opinion, and was a proud narcissist. Even with these detracting qualities, he and Holden remained on somewhat good terms. * Ackley – Ackley was Holden and Stradlater’s next-room neighbor who is the bane of the school community’s existence. Never content to depart without making a distinct impression, Ackley’s presence was marked by the intent to inspire frustration in all those with whom he lived. * Old Spencer – Holden’s history teacher is the kind of phony who says the word “grand” and has an affinity for long, admonishing lectures. He cares a great deal about his students and wants them to do well, but in Holden’s case there was very little hope for improvement. * D.B. – D.B. is Holden’s oldest sibling, a Hollywood phony who creates scripts, drives a Jaguar, and does whatever he has to for jobs. Although Holden sees his brother as a phony for his line of work, D.B.’s “The Secret Goldfish” is one of Holden’s favorite stories. D.B. cares a great deal for Holden’s well being, as evidenced by his frequent visits to the mental institution in which his brother is incarcerated. * Sunny – This young and “spooky” prostitute comes off as apathetic to the life she leads, having seemed quite stoic during her nighttime visit with Holden at the Edmont Hotel. She didn’t care about whatever Holden decided to do with her so long as she got her ten dollars. Or was it five? * Maurice – He insists that it was ten. Maurice is an elevator operator by day and pimp daddy by night who does not take kindly to Holden’s defiant attitude. Sporting a faux shirt collar and possessing a two-faced personality, Maurice has phony written all over him. * Mr. Antolini – A professor from one of Holden’s previous schools, Mr. Antolini wants his former student to see just where his life is headed if he doesn’t choose to shape up. He and his wife hosted Holden briefly in their apartment building when the teenager could not find anywhere else to sleep, but Mr. Antolini’s questionable behavior startled Holden so severely that he left in the middle of the night. Although Antolini was selfless enough to pick up the body of a dead student and is considered a fine teacher, his true nature is left in a state of ambiguity. * Mom and Pop – The enigmatic parents of Holden Caulfield are never far from the teenager’s thoughts. The decisions they made for him have caused Holden some turmoil and distress, forcing him to attend boarding school after boarding school despite his consistent failures. Unwilling to let his parents see him after being expelled from yet another school, Holden chooses to roam New York instead of returning straight home as a way to avoid them. * Allie – Holden’s deceased brother passed away of leukemia in 1946. Praised by Holden as the most intelligent and kind member of their family, Allie did far better in school than any of his siblings and, despite his red hair, was not the type to get riled up easily. Holden often considers Allie throughout the novel and feels a deep sense of loss three years after his death, a fact that has taken a toll on his increasingly unstable psyche. * Phoebe – Phoebe is unusual in that, as was the case with Allie, Holden does not catalogue any complaints against her personality or actions, never once calling her a phony of any sort. She loves her brother dearly and would do anything to be with him, but his constant failure at school has caused a rift to form between them. Her interests include performing and writing, in which she has grown especially accustomed to her original character of Hazel Weatherfield.